The Erbil Polytechnic University Rector Prof. Dr. Edrees Muhamad Tahir Harki accompanied by the Vice Rector for Scientific Affairs and Higher Education, the Directors of Research Center, the Language Center, and the Pedagogy Center of our university participated in a seminar entitled (Global Campaign for an Equal and Fair Education).
The seminar which was held on Monday, the 6th February, 2023 at the headquarters of the Kurdistan Teachers Union, was part of the Global Campaign for Learning launched by the International Organization for Education.
In the seminar the attendees discussed the aspects that need to be addressed in the campaign, especially those related to how to prepare teachers and how to strengthen the relationship between the two Ministries of Education and the Higher Education and Scientific Research. They also discussed the problems facing education in the Kurdistan Region.
Discussing how the private sector can cooperate in the education process, as well as teachers’ livelihoods in schools and teaching materials were the other topics of the seminar.
In general, the seminar shed light on all the factors related to the education and teaching process.
On Sunday, the 5th of February, 2023, the Rector of the University Prof. Dr. Edrees Muhamad Tahir Harki received the senior consultants of the Quarter Project in the Veterinary Sector. In the meeting, the Vice Rector for Scientific Affairs and the Director of the Career Development Center of the University Presidency were available.
The guest delegation consisted of Mark Vanstinkstik of Belgium and Brian Stains of Scotland, Senior Advisors of the Veterinary Development Sector Project in the European Union.
At the beginning, his Excellency our University Rector welcomed the guest delegation and talked about the importance and collaboration of the Erbil Polytechnic University with the European Union universities and transferring their experience in the agriculture field and the veterinary sector, which will be an important support and encouragement for the Kurdistan Region.
Later, Mr. Mark Vanstinkstik and Mr. Brian Staines spoke about the project which has been implemented by Quater International and GIZ Germany and is funded by the European Union.
The project will last for three years which includes two main areas: Development and improvement of veterinary curricula in Shaqlawa Technical College. Sending academic staff of the department to the European Union universities, especially Belgium and the Netherlands to get acquainted with the latest technical methods of the veterinary department and how to conduct modern scientific research and solve agricultural problems to reduce and increase production.
The second aspect of the project is to pay attention to the administrative staff of the Directorate of Labor Development in the Presidency of the University, conducting several workshops in the field of capacity development and building links between the university and the labor market.
On Wednesday, the 1st of February, 2023, Dr. Aram Mohammed Qadir, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq received the Erbil Polytechnic University partners in the Camplus project which consisted of seven international institutions from France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy and Greece.
In a meeting where the Consultants and General Directors of the ministry, the Vice Rector of Erbil Polytechnic University for Scientific Affairs and Higher Education, the Director of International Relations Office, and the officials and trainers of the project were present the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research welcomed the delegation of the European partners in the Camplus Project and expressed his pleasure for the joint work between the Erbil Polytechnic University and thanked them for choosing this university for implementing the Camplus project. He assured his ministry’s support for any joint work to further serve the youth, students and refugees in the camps.
It is worth mentioning that last year, six teachers of the Erbil Polytechnic University participated in a special course in Italy to become qualified trainers.
This project is funded by the European Union and aims to help refugees and the Erbil Polytechnic University alumni to develop their projects and create job opportunities for them.
In the presence of the University Rector Prof. Dr. Edrees Muhamad Tahir Harki, the Head of the Supervision and Quality Assurance Agency of the Ministry of Higher Education Dr. Mohammed Kalari, the General Director of Education and Planning Dr. Khatab Ahmed, the Vice Rector for Scientific Affairs, guests and Directors of the University Presidency, in a ceremony awarded Camplus accredited Trainers certificates to six lecturers of our university.
The ceremony was held on Wednesday, the 1st of February, 2023 in the Conference Hall of the university presidency. In the beginning, the Rector delivered a speech in which he welcomed the guests, European partners, academic staff, students and refugees. He said: “I congratulate our teachers on obtaining the certificate of qualified trainers. The university works as an academic institution to provide knowledge, conduct research and serve the community,” he said. Currently, the university’s relationship with its community has become a necessity for the economy to ensure social stability and also to solve social problems. Erbil Polytechnic University considers it its duty to help the community. In this regard, we have done a good job and will continue to step forward.
From this perspective, we look at the Camplus project, which is a three-year project funded by the European Union through the Erasmus Plus programme. It aims to help refugees, the poor, and our university alumni to develop their projects to become employers and create job opportunities for the youth of this region and pave the way for them to use their skills in the labor market.
We at Erbil Polytechnic University feel honored as we have been trusted by our partners to implement such projects in Erbil.
His Excellency added more by saying: “Ladies and gentlemen, I want to present some information about the project: “The Camplus project was launched in February 2021 by seven organizations, universities and institutes in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Greece, and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, to train low-income people and refugee youth in Erbil and Larissa, Greece.
For this purpose, we have already prepared ourselves. In the past, six academic staff from our university went to Italy and were trained by the Italian partners in the field of project development and attention to continuous learning. From now and on, they can supervise different trainings in the camps based on their abilities and skills.
This project emphasizes the self-reliance of young people, the poor and refugees to become owners of their own projects and create job opportunities for themselves and their families.
We at Erbil Polytechnic University are working on finding job opportunities for our graduates and connecting our university with public and private institutions.
Commendably, through the Camplus Project, a model has been developed that focuses on constant learning that includes the following topics: (self-management skills, evaluation, counseling and leadership and truth management (evidence). Also, the creation of e-learning platforms.
Then succeeded workshops were presented by the partners, each of them separately discussed the role of their institution and country in the project.
Afterwards, Mr. Hawro, one of the teachers who was awarded the camplus certificate, presented a workshop on how to conduct courses in Erbil camps which has already begun to be implemented.
Finally, the partners awarded certificates of qualified Trainers to our university lecturers.
